I wasn't able to figure out a fix for KMS, but using non KMS uvesafb and the radeon driver gives me very good performance with an x800 GTO. Just need to go through the effort of setting the kernel video line. Check

I agree with quarksoup: the problem is the failure to load the firmware, which is not available before root gets mounted. If you compile the radeon module into the kernel, you'll either have to use an initrd with the firmware blob, or you have to compile the blob into the kernel. The other alternative (which is what I have done) is to compile readeon as a module, which will leave you with a VGA console until the module has loaded, but will avoid all firmware problems.

I agree with quarksoup: the problem is the failure to load the firmware, which is not available before root gets mounted. If you compile the radeon module into the kernel, you'll either have to use an initrd with the firmware blob, or you have to compile the blob into the kernel. The other alternative (which is what I have done) is to compile readeon as a module, which will leave you with a VGA console until the module has loaded, but will avoid all firmware problems.

Hi, resuming this thread to solve my problem, I've a question for you.

Compiling radeon as a module (and so compiling KMS as a module) do I have to set up firmware under Generic Driver Options?

I set it up like quarksoup said but compiling kernel it says cannot find module R300_cp.bin.

I don't see why it should. lspci uses the database in /usr/share/hwdata for it's info. There's no rule to say glxinfo must as well. What matters is that glxinfo doesn't show a software renderer (software rasterizer, softpipe or llvmpipe).

I don't see why it should. lspci uses the database in /usr/share/hwdata for it's info. There's no rule to say glxinfo must as well. What matters is that glxinfo doesn't show a software renderer (software rasterizer, softpipe or llvmpipe).